Radio Stone Update
Radio Stone Update
India Tile Tariff Battle Hits Federal Court
00:00 Brought to You By Quantra Quartz
00:22 Intro
00:32 India Tile Tariff Court Complaint
02:32 A Word from Quantra
03:44 McDermott Top Shop Turns 30
05:26 Florim Opens L.A. Showroom
06:43 Texas Counter Fitters to Distribute Radianz
07:42 BB Industries Adds Four Outside Reps
09:04 Cersaie Show Floor Sells Out
10:26 Marmomac Features Theme Speakers
12:58 ParkFest to Return October 1-2
13:38 Outro
14:05 Brought to You By Quantra Quartz
Radio Stone Update is presented on the second and fourth Wednesdays every month at 9 a.m. everywhere on Earth with the latest news and insights in hard surfaces. Check our archives at www.radiostoneupdate.com.
00:22
Hi, I’m K. Schipper with the latest in hard surfaces industry news from Radio Stone Update.
00:32
A coalition of U.S. tile manufacturers is taking a division of the U.S. Department of Commerce to federal court over a recent decision involving ceramic tile imports from India.
In documents filed in New York the last week in June with the U.S. Court of International Trade, the Coalition for Fair Trade in Ceramic Tile – the CFTCT -- alleges the International Trade Administration – the ITA – didn’t follow established procedures in its investigation of two Indian tile producers.
The coalition notified the U.S. government back in May that it would seek action from the court.
The suit challenges the findings of the ITA on April 23 that there is no evidence of below-fair-value selling or dumping of ceramic tile from India. The two companies providing data are tile producers Antiqua Minerals and Win-Tel Ceramics Pvt. Ltd.
The ITA routinely reviews data from a short list of exporting producers in any unfair-trade investigation. In the CFTCT’s complaint, it alleges the ITA didn’t follow standard practices by excluding data from some affiliates of Antiqua and Win-Tel.
The complaint also claims that the ITA received and used information from the two companies after the standard deadline and that it gave Win-Tel an offset to allow for scrap during production. Reports from the company show it didn’t normally track scrap amounts.
Eric Astrachan, CFTCT executive director, says the coalition appreciates that the U.S. Department of Commerce and its investigators are time-limited on their investigations. Still, he added, “We firmly believe Commerce didn’t have all the facts at hand to decide this case.”
Astrachan also stated that any finding resulting in an anti-dumping tariff should be retroactive to the date of the April 23 findings.
The federal court has yet to assign a judge or schedule the CFTCT’s complaint on its docket.
03:44
Congratulations go out to Jefferson, Wis.-based McDermott Top Shop, which celebrated its 30th anniversary early last month. The two-part celebration brought together more than 450 guests, including industry leaders, loyal customers, employees, friends and families.
The celebration began with a customer appreciation day on June 5 at McDermott’s 65,000 ft2 facility. Almost 200 customers, vendors and partners gathered for an afternoon featuring helicopter rides, live music, food and product showcases, all designed to honor three decades of craftsmanship, innovation and trusted partnerships.
The event also marked the introduction of Travis McDermott as president of the company. Founder Ron McDermott remains active as CEO. Guests were also able to tour McDermott’s climate-controlled, dust-free fabrication facility.
Notable attendees included the McDermotts’ state senator, Steve Nass, as well as Natural Stone Institute CEO Jim Hieb and Heather Duve, membership director of the International Surface Fabricators Association. The event was sponsored by MSI Surfaces and Hallmark Building Products, both longstanding partners of McDermott Top Shop.
The celebration continued on June 7 with a Friends & Family Day welcoming nearly 300 employees, family members and community guests.
McDermott Top Shop is a family-owned and operated fabrication company serving customers across five states. Last year it completed a full-scale rebranding campaign aligning its visual identity, voice and marketing strategy with a future-focused vision.
05:26
Italian-based porcelain manufacturer Florim has strengthened its presence in North America with the opening of a new flagship store in Los Angeles.
Following on the success of a pop-up store in that city in 2023, the ceramic group has now opened a permanent location in the Design District of West Hollywood. The building at 450 N. Robertson Blvd., is already home to some of the top home design brands.
The Florim showroom covers more than 6,400 ft2 on three levels. The space also includes two loggias and a rooftop terrace.
The first and second floors showcase a variety of settings that highlight the wide-ranging applications of Florim’s large-format porcelain slabs. Available in thicknesses from 3mm to 20mm, these surfaces are suitable for flooring, wall coverings, integrated furnishings and facades.
The third level includes a fully equipped kitchen, a conference room and a lounge area, all opening onto the terrace, which includes an outdoor bar.
The goal is to provide design professionals with a comprehensive, versatile and high-performance toolkit. By utilizing the products of its partnership with premium Italian brands, the space also celebrates the products of Made in Italy.
06:43
LOTTE Chemical has announced a strategic distribution partnership with Texas Counter Fitters – TCF – as the exclusive distributor of Radianz Quartz throughout the south-central United States.
Texas Counter Fitters is based in Richardson, Texas, and brings extensive industry experience with a focus on innovation and expertise to the partnership. The company also has a strong presence in Texas and neighboring states.
LOTTE Chemical is based in Seoul, South Korea, with its U.S. operation based in La Palma, Calif. LOTTE is a leading manufacturer of high-quality chemical products, including Radianz Quartz.
The partnership brings together LOTTE Chemical’s innovation and design excellence in engineered stone and TCF’s reputation for quality, service and logistics in the stone surface industry. TCF will introduce Radianz Quartz to new markets in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
07:42
Knoxville, Tenn.-based BB Industries announces the hiring of four new outside sales consultants to cover additional territories within the United States, including Utah, Arizona and Florida.
The new consultants and their territories are:
-- Brandon Carr, a former BB Industries employee now back on board covering northern Utah and the Boise, Idaho, markets. He can be reached at 801-875-2455.
-- Eric Steeves is covering Orlando, Fla, and the northern Florida area. He’s a former CNC operator with more than five years of stone shop experience and can be reached at 904-483-1225.
-- Jose Huerta is servicing the Sarasota, Fla., area. Huerta has more than 10 years’ experience in the industry, having worked in both shops and sales. He can be reached at 941-314-6910, and.
-- Karson Cullimore is the representative for the south Utah and Las Vegas areas, along with calling on clients monthly in the Phoenix area. His experience is in automated stone-fabrication machinery, where he has more than 20 years’ experience. He can be contacted at 385-630-1811.
09:04
The 42nd edition of Cersaie is scheduled for Sept. 22-26 in Bologna, Italy, but show organizers report it’s already booked full three months in advance. And, that’s for 1.66 million ft2, an increase of more than 100,000 ft2 from last year’s show.
One result of those strong numbers is a total reorganization of the event’s layout at BolognaFiere. This year, eight halls will be devoted to ceramic tiles and slabs, while bathroom furnishings will take over four halls this year – one more than in past years.
Two halls – 31 and 32 – will be devoted to new products, including non-ceramic surfaces, including natural stone. Technology start-ups serving the construction sector will have their own dedicated area.
All installation materials and equipment vendors will be located in Hall 19. The larger area will offer more space for exhibitors and for training and education at the event’s Tiling Town. – including technical seminars on laying larger slabs.
Exhibitors at Cersaie 2025 will feature around 270 Italian companies, and another 183 companies from 22 foreign countries. Spanish exhibitors will again make up the largest foreign contingent, with 110 companies.
10:26
As the calendar counts down to the 59th edition of Marmomac, organizers for the Verona, Italy-based trade show have unveiled a new format for the Plus Theatre, the event’s prime venue for cultural and design dialogue.
This year, designers, artists, architects and international researchers will engage in conversations on new visions of contemporary approaches to natural stone. Each of the four sessions will focus on the event’s three thematic veins: Material, Technologies and Design and Vision.
Leading off the sessions will be Davide Fabio Colaci, who will address the issue of “Marble and the values of surface,” at 10:45 a.m. on September 24.
At 3:30 p.m. that same day, Yuri Ancarani and Laura Lamonea will speak on “Art, stone and visual experimentation.” Visual artist and filmmaker Ancarani will engage in a dialogue with Lamonea, curator and artistic director of ArtVerona.
As part of the 15th anniversary of its presentation at the Venice Film Biennale, Marmomac pays tribute to Ancarani’s “Il Capo,” which was shot in the Carrara marble quarries and will be screened daily during the show at 1 p.m. in the Plus Theatre Auditorium.
On Thursday, Sept. 25th, Joseph Grima will present his take on “The Technoartisan,” a session dedicated to technology and craftsmanship.
Grima, an architect, curator and internationally recognized intellectual, will focus on the role of the “techno-craftsman,” a hybrid practitioner that combines the sensibility of manual work with digital tools, whether that’s CNC machining or artificial intelligence.
The last of the four programs is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 26 at 11:45 a.m., when Grazia Signori and Tommaso Simonetta discuss “The Sound and Soundness of Stone: When Matter Speaks the Language of the Senses.”
Simonetta has created the first immersive playlist curated by Marmomac. It transforms the authentic sounds of the Carrara quarries into a three-act sound work. The playlist will be available on Spotify starting July 14.
Marmomac will be held Sept. 23-26, 2025. For more information, go to www.marmomac.com
12:58
Park Industries® announces the return of ParkFest Oct. 1-2 at the company’s headquarters in St. Cloud, Minn.
Molly Hauer, director of marketing for Park Industries, says the company is thrilled to welcome fabricators back to ParkFest. “This event is all about connection and celebration within our industry. It’s a chance to step away from the day-to-day, see the latest technology in action and learn from each other,” she said.
More details about ParkFest 2025, including the full lineup and registration, will be announced in the coming weeks. To learn more about Park Industries events go to: www.parkindustries.com/events.
14:05
Remember, to keep up with what’s going on monthly in the hard surfaces import market, go to www.hardsurfacesreport.com. For a transcript of today’s broadcast, go to www.radiostoneupdate.com. I’m K. Schipper for Radio Stone Update, and we’ll see you here again soon.